Article by
Luova Labs

Published on
February 13, 2018

Workers at polyclinic in Barbados are under threat from increased physical and verbal attacks, according to Minister of Health John Boyce.

However, Boyce today announced that security measures were bring put in place to ensure the safety of staff.

Singling out the Brandford Taitt Polyclinic in Black Rock, St Michael, Boyce said it was “the most vulnerable facility to this type of violence”, adding that “several measures” had been implemented to combat this challenge, including increased security and police presence.

“One of the things we have had to include in the Estimates for 2018-19 has been an intensive effort to improve the security provisions at our polyclinics, and we are starting with the Branford Taitt Polyclinic because of the increase incidents of threats and violence associated with persons attending these clinics, to the extent that it is impacting very negatively on our staff members, and the truth is that in recent years the verbal and physical abuse towards polyclinic staff have become more frequent,” he said in his contribution to the debate on the 2018-19 Estimates.

The Ministry of Health has been allocated $329.7 million in the 2018-19 Estimates, down slightly from $332.5 million in the Revised Estimates for 2017-18. The Brandford Taitt Polyclinic has been allocated $3.1 million, up from the $2.9 million in the Revised Estimates 2017-18.

Boyce said the 2018-19 allocation included funds for handheld radios, public address systems, and panic buttons for staff members.

“These 2018-19 Estimates include funds to deal with this. We have also put in place not only at [the Brandford Taitt] polyclinic, but generally over the polyclinic, a mechanism to control the flow of patients,” the minister said.

Boyce said the security concerns had prompted the authorities to consider restricting the number of people who would be allowed to accompany patients visiting the doctors or sitting in the waiting rooms.

“It may slow up things, it may reduce the number of persons being seen every day in the polyclinics consistently, but these are the kinds of measures being contemplated and which I will have to support so that the threats to our caregivers are not sustained and that they can go to work in absolute comfort as we have become accustomed,” he said.

Boyce also revealed that his ministry was working on “a draft violent policy” that had already been shared with stakeholders, details of which would be “dealt with over the next couple of months”.

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0 thoughts on “Polyclinics under threat, Boyce says”

The Brandford Taitt Polyclinic is near DEACONS ROAD right ? near the FARM right ?
If readers have been following certain events,keeping their ears close to the ground,on the look out for messages dropping off trucks and ting,they could easily put 1 and 1 together and come up with 11 different answers
…..but in all fairness,some of the EMPLOYEES at SOME of those Clinics seem to favor their FRIENDS AND RELATIVES by placing their notes AHEAD of others who have been waiting LONG BEFORE THEM so that they can be seen BEFORE THEM.
…..and THAT IS A FACT !!

The Brandford Taitt Polyclinic is near DEACONS ROAD right ? near the FARM right ?
If readers have been following certain events,keeping their ears close to the ground,on the look out for messages dropping off trucks and ting,they could easily put 1 and 1 together and come up with 11 different answers
…..but in all fairness,some of the EMPLOYEES at SOME of those Clinics seem to favor their FRIENDS AND RELATIVES by placing their notes AHEAD of others who have been waiting LONG BEFORE THEM so that they can be seen BEFORE THEM.
…..and THAT IS A FACT !!

Violence is not acceptable regardless of your opinions of the process and wait times inside the polyclinics.
Our public needs educating about the rational use of these clinics to avoid overcrowding and abuse of the system itself.
That alone would create greater comfort and efficiency for patients and staff when persons take responsibility for certain aspects of their health and use these services correctly and only when needed.
A service fee is required to upgrade and maintain a clean and pleasant environment for both patients and staff as all of this affects your mental state and attitude.
Most of all, grown adults need to behave with maturity and basic manners and if there is a failing on either side , persons must have recourse to a fair and clear protocol to have their concerns properly addressed.

Violence is not acceptable regardless of your opinions of the process and wait times inside the polyclinics.
Our public needs educating about the rational use of these clinics to avoid overcrowding and abuse of the system itself.
That alone would create greater comfort and efficiency for patients and staff when persons take responsibility for certain aspects of their health and use these services correctly and only when needed.
A service fee is required to upgrade and maintain a clean and pleasant environment for both patients and staff as all of this affects your mental state and attitude.
Most of all, grown adults need to behave with maturity and basic manners and if there is a failing on either side , persons must have recourse to a fair and clear protocol to have their concerns properly addressed.